2 Chronicles 12:8
New International Version
They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

New Living Translation
But they will become his subjects, so they will know the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers.”

English Standard Version
Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Berean Standard Bible
Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.”

King James Bible
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

New King James Version
Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

New American Standard Bible
But they will become his slaves, so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

NASB 1995
“But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

NASB 1977
“But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But they will become his slaves so that they may know the difference between My slavery and the slavery of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Amplified Bible
Nevertheless they will become his slaves, so that they may know [the difference between] My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

Christian Standard Bible
However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving Me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”

American Standard Version
Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

Contemporary English Version
he will conquer and rule them. Then my people will know what it's like to serve a foreign king instead of serving me.

English Revised Version
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But they will become his servants so that they can learn the difference between serving me and serving foreign kings."

Good News Translation
but Shishak will conquer them, and they will learn the difference between serving me and serving earthly rulers."

International Standard Version
Nevertheless, they will become his slaves so they may learn to differentiate between what it means to serve me and to serve the kingdoms of these nations."

Majority Standard Bible
Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.?

NET Bible
Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations."

New Heart English Bible
Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

Webster's Bible Translation
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

World English Bible
Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
but they become servants to him, and they know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.”

Young's Literal Translation
but they become servants to him, and they know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.'

Smith's Literal Translation
For they shall be to him for servants; and they shall know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the lands.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But yet they shall serve him, that they may know the difference between my service, and the service of a kingdom of the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet truly, they shall serve him, so that they may know the difference between my servitude, and the servitude of a kingdom of the lands.”

New American Bible
But they shall be his servants. Then they will know what it is to serve me and what it is to serve the kingdoms of the earth.

New Revised Standard Version
Nevertheless they shall be his servants, so that they may know the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Nevertheless they shall be servants, and know my service, and the service of the kings of the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Shishak Raids Jerusalem
7When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.”

Cross References
Exodus 14:12
Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Deuteronomy 28:47-48
Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, / you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Judges 2:22
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.”

1 Samuel 8:11-18
He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots. / He will appoint some for himself as commanders of thousands and of fifties, and others to plow his ground, to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. / And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ...

1 Kings 9:6-9
But if indeed you or your sons turn away from following Me and do not keep the commandments and statutes I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, / then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples. / And when this temple has become a heap of rubble, all who pass by it will be appalled and will hiss and say, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ ...

Isaiah 10:5-6
Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hands is My wrath. / I will send him against a godless nation; I will dispatch him against a people destined for My rage, to take spoils and seize plunder, and to trample them down like clay in the streets.

Jeremiah 27:12
And to Zedekiah king of Judah I spoke the same message: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon; serve him and his people, and live!

Ezekiel 20:32-33
When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass. / As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, with a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and outpoured wrath I will rule over you.

Daniel 9:11-12
All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice; so the oath and the curse written in the Law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. / You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.

Hosea 8:13
Though they offer sacrifices as gifts to Me, and though they eat the meat, the LORD does not accept them. Now He will remember their iniquity and punish their sins: They will return to Egypt.

Matthew 11:29-30
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. / For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

John 8:34
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Romans 6:16-18
Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? / But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. / You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

1 Corinthians 7:21-23
Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let it concern you—but if you can gain your freedom, take the opportunity. / For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman. Conversely, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave. / You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.


Treasury of Scripture

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

Nevertheless

Nehemiah 9:36
Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it:

Isaiah 26:13
O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

that they may

Deuteronomy 28:47
Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

Judges 3:1
Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

Jeremiah 10:24
O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

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2 Chronicles 12
1. Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished by Shishak
5. He and the princes, repenting at the preaching of Shemaiah,
7. are delivered from destruction, but not from spoil
13. The reign and death of Rehoboam














Nevertheless
This word serves as a pivotal transition, indicating a shift in the narrative. Despite the preceding judgment, there is a divine purpose at work. In Hebrew, the word often translated as "nevertheless" is "ulam," which conveys a sense of contrast and continuation. It reminds us that God's plans are redemptive, even in discipline, and that His mercy often accompanies His justice.

they will become his servants
The phrase indicates a divinely ordained subjugation. The Hebrew word for "servants" is "avadim," which can mean both servants and slaves. This reflects the reality of Israel's impending servitude under Shishak, the king of Egypt. Historically, this servitude is a consequence of Israel's disobedience, yet it is also a tool for correction and learning. It underscores the biblical principle that God uses even foreign powers to fulfill His purposes.

so that they may learn
Here, the purpose of their servitude is educational. The Hebrew root "lamad" means to learn or to be taught. This suggests that God's intention is not merely punitive but instructive. The Israelites are to gain wisdom and understanding through their experiences, highlighting God's desire for His people to grow in knowledge and discernment.

the difference between serving Me
This phrase emphasizes the contrast between serving God and serving earthly rulers. The Hebrew word for "serving" is "avodah," which implies worship and devotion. Serving God is portrayed as a relationship of covenantal love and faithfulness, distinct from the oppressive service to human kings. This distinction is central to Israel's identity as God's chosen people.

and serving the kings of other lands
The phrase points to the reality of serving foreign rulers, which is often characterized by oppression and hardship. The historical context here is significant, as Israel's subjugation under Shishak is a direct result of their turning away from God. The "kings of other lands" symbolize the worldly powers that Israel sought after, contrasting sharply with the benevolent kingship of God.

(8) Nevertheless they shall be.--For they shall become servants (i.e., tributaries) to him; scil., for a while.

That they may know (or, discern) my service, and the service of the kingdoms.--That they may learn by experience the difference between the easy yoke of their God, and the heavy burden of foreign tyranny, which was entailed upon them by deserting Him.

Kingdoms of the countries.--See 1Chronicles 29:30.

Verse 8. - The genius of this verse, nevertheless, will quite admit of the Authorized Version rendering, proposed to be superseded in the last verse. This says life shall be spared, but still severe moral reckoning (that of servitude in a sense and tributariness) shall be taken with the transgressors and forsakers of the Lord! The contrast of God's service and that of men and the world again touchingly recalls the words of Christ (Matthew 11:28-30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Nevertheless,
כִּ֥י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

they will become
יִהְיוּ־ (yih·yū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

his servants,
לַעֲבָדִ֑ים (la·‘ă·ḇā·ḏîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

so that they may learn
וְיֵדְעוּ֙ (wə·yê·ḏə·‘ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

the difference between serving
עֲב֣וֹדָתִ֔י (‘ă·ḇō·w·ḏā·ṯî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5656: Work of any kind

Me and serving
וַעֲבוֹדַ֖ת (wa·‘ă·ḇō·w·ḏaṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5656: Work of any kind

the kings
מַמְלְכ֥וֹת (mam·lə·ḵō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

of other lands.”
הָאֲרָצֽוֹת׃ (hā·’ă·rā·ṣō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 12:8 Nevertheless they shall be his servants that (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 12:7
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